The power of emptiness cannot be understated - it is the only real time in our lives when we can connect to who we truly are.

Every day is packed with more. We need more money, more time, more success, more accomplishment, more learning, more strategies, more help, and more of just about anything you can think of. Your mind never gets a rest, and it’s always in fight or flight mode, or it’s juggling a hundred things at once.

Your time of emptiness is the time where you mind gets to put all of this to the side for a moment and simply exist. Scientifically, it’s the #1 way to recharge to stay focused for tomorrow, and it’s the only real way to break through innovative challenges that require a truly “out of the box” idea.

Emptiness is not a time for thinking or planning - it’s quite the opposite. It’s the time when we truly let go and simply exist as we are in our natural state. It’s the greatest gift we can give to ourselves, and it also powerfully expands time by allowing full access to parts of the brain that are completely shut down during times of stress. The only requirement is that you must let go of doing everything, and simply let the brain do what it was evolved to do.

We crowdsourced some amazing ideas to get into states of emptiness in the hopes that they inspire you to schedule in your empty time during the week. Here are some of our favorites from our Good Startups Grads and Team:

Time out of the office in nature or in group solitude

Group retreats to a quiet and peaceful paradise

Glass blowing, calligraphy writing, painting - or other personal craft that easily gets you into the state of flow

Nap room with calming music

Massage

Meditation or mindful breathing

Long shower or hot bath

Running or light exercising

Lay in bed and simply watch thoughts as they pass by without getting caught up in a particular stream of ideas

Listen to calming music

Stretch

Hiking

Swimming or go to the beach

Watching a candle flame or fireplace

Yoga practice

Do any of these activity categories call to you? Try one this week and see how it makes you feel. You might just find that the solution you were looking for has been inside of you all along - you just had to get out of your own way and let it through.